Winterising the driver

Get into the winter mindset. Try to keep enough road space around you to give room to manoeuvre out of trouble if another motorist, or yourself, makes a mistake or hits ice. We all try to drive safely, but we all make mistakes, so accept that others may get it wrong and give them space to sort it out.

Pull over to let the motorway tailgaters through – they may think they’ve won, but in an emergency you don’t want them piling into the back of you at 70 mph. And take care overtaking trucks on a wet motorway: the salt spray from their tyres might totally block your vision when you’re alongside them.

On lesser roads, keep a lookout for potholes, which can affect directional stability and damage your Land Rover. Minor rural roads may not have been gritted, but there won’t be a sign to say so, so always drive to expect ice.

When off-roading, be aware that navigation may become difficult if the weather turns. Snow will hide any holes, ruts and deep mud in the track, and it may even be difficult to stay on the track if the edges are not visible. Take a tarp and a blanket to lay on if you need to get under the vehicle for repairs, and ensure the vehicle cannot slide on ice while you’re under it.

Off-road or on-road, there is always the risk of becoming stranded in winter, so carry survival kit for everyone on board. The basics are: sleeping bags, warm clothes and waterproofs, boots, food, water, and a mobile phone fully charged with a facility to charge it from the vehicle. Extras include a working radio for traffic and weather reports, a tow rope, a rucksack in case you need to leave the vehicle, a paper map or road atlas (Ordnance Survey sheet if off-roading), compass, a sense of humour and a copy of LRM to pass the time with.